Ring and container for coiled wire

ABSTRACT

A ring suitable for riding upon a coil of wire is provided. The ring includes a substantially planar member extending between an inner edge defining a central aperture and an outer edge, the member including a substantially planar portion that extends radially inwardly of the outer edge and toward the inner edge, and a upwardly extending central portion that extends from the planar portion to the inner edge. The substantially planar portion includes a top surface that faces away from a top surface of a coil of wire when the member rests thereupon and an opposite bottom surface that faces toward a top surface of the coil of wire when the member rests thereupon, the bottom surface of the substantially planar portion includes a plurality of projections that extend therefrom away from the bottom surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.61/938,360, filed on Feb. 11, 2014, the entirety of which is herebyfully incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to containers that are configured to transportand allow for continuous payout of a portion of a coiled wire stored inthe container. Containers of coiled wire often include lids as well ashold down rings that are disposed within the container and above thecoiled wire.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A first representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. Theembodiment includes a ring suitable for riding upon a top surface of acoil of wire. The ring includes a substantially planar member extendingbetween an inner edge defining a central aperture and an outer edge, themember including a substantially planar portion that extends radiallyinwardly of the outer edge and toward the inner edge, and a upwardlyextending central portion that extends from the planar portion to theinner edge. The substantially planar portion includes a top surface thatfaces away from a top surface of a coil of wire when the member reststhereupon and an opposite bottom surface that faces toward a top surfaceof the coil of wire when the member rests thereupon, the bottom surfaceof the substantially planar portion includes a plurality of projectionsthat extend therefrom away from the bottom surface.

Another representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. Theembodiment includes a system for supporting a coil of wire. The systemincludes a container including a bottom surface, side walls collectivelydefining an internal volume that is configured to receive an elongatewire coiled therein, the elongate coiled wire defining a top surfacethat faces an open top of the container, and a substantially cylindricalside surface that radially faces an inner surface of the container. Thecontainer receives a ring that rests upon the top surface of theelongate coil of wire, the ring extends between an inner edge defining acentral aperture and an outer edge, the ring including a substantiallyplanar portion that extends radially inwardly of the outer edge andtoward the inner edge, and a upwardly extending central portion thatextends from the planar portion to the inner edge. The substantiallyplanar portion includes a top surface that faces away from a top surfaceof a coil of wire when the ring rests thereupon and an opposite bottomsurface that faces toward the top surface of the coil of wire when thering rests thereupon, the bottom surface of the substantially planarportion includes a plurality of projections that extend therefrom awayfrom the bottom surface. The ring is configured to slide downwardlywithin the internal volume of the container as the elongate wire iswithdrawn from the container.

Advantages of the disclosed devices will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description of embodiments thathave been shown and described by way of illustration. As will berealized, other and different embodiments are contemplated, and thedisclosed details are capable of modification in various respects.Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded asillustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ring usable within a container forholding a coil of wire.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container with the ring of FIG. 1disposed therein and above a coil of wire, with a portion of the wirebeing withdrawn through a center aperture in the ring.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a ring that is usable within the container ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the ring of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the container of FIG. 2 and the ringof FIG. 3 resting upon a top surface of the coil of wire.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of another ring that is usable within thecontainer of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the ring of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 3 disposed within a container.

FIG. 9 is a top schematic view of FIG. 8 with the container partiallydeformed and a portion of the ring deflected.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a ring disposed within a container.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another ring that is usable within thecontainer of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the ring of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of the container of FIG. 2 and the ringof FIG. 11 resting upon the top surface of the coil of wire.

FIG. 14 a is a detail view of detail A of FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 is the view of FIG. 11 with the flexible members removed.

FIG. 16 is perspective view of another ring that is usable within thecontainer of FIG. 2

FIG. 17 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another ring usable within a containerfor holding a coil of wire.

FIG. 19 is the ring of FIG. 18 receiving a dowel and a band to retainthe ring in position within a wire container (not shown).

FIG. 20 is the ring of FIG. 18 depicted with two similar rings in astacked configuration, with a support member of a lower stacked receivedwithin a void of a socket of the upper stacked ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PRESENTLY PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS

Turning now to FIGS. 1-17, a system for supporting and transporting anelongate coiled wire is provided. The system includes a container 500that receives the elongate coiled wire 550 within an internal volume 520defined within an outer wall 510 and a bottom wall 530. The coiled wire550 may be coiled directly within the inner volume 520 such that thatthe coiled wire 550 defines an elongate donut-like shape, with a topsurface 552 that is formed by the coils of wire that are disposed at thetop of the coiled wire 550, and a cylindrical side surface 554 that isformed by the portions of the coiled wire that are at the radial outeredge of the coiled wire 550 along the height of the coiled wire 550. Insome embodiments, the cylindrical side surface 554 of the coiled wire550 may contact, or be in close proximity to, an inner surface 512 ofthe side walls 510 of the container 500. In some embodiments, thecylindrical side surface 554 of the coiled wire 550 may contact theentire inner surface 512 of the side walls 510 of the container 500,while in other embodiments, the cylindrical side surface 554 of thecoiled wire 550 may only contact a portion of the inner surface 512 ofthe side walls 510 of the container, either due to the inclusion ofother structures (such as corner braces 740 (FIG. 10) disposed withinthe inner volume of a container 700, wherein the coiled wire alsocontacts a surface of each corner brace 740), or in circumstances whenthe coiled wire 550 is the same shape as the inner surface 512 of theside walls 510 of the container 500.

In some embodiments, the container 500 receives a ring 20 therein, whichsits upon the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 500 and assists withmaintaining the various portions of wire from the coiled wire 550 frombeing withdrawn or being pulled out of the container 500 when notintended. This specification discloses multiple embodiments of rings,shown specifically as rings 20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 820 For the sake ofbrevity, portions of the various rings that include similar structureare identified with similar element numbers in the ones and tens digits,e.g. outer edges 32, 132, 232, 323, 432, 832 Unless otherwise discussedherein, rings that are identified with element numbers with the sametens and ones digits should be understood as including similar structureacross the various rings 20, 120, 220, 320, 420 and these structures mayonly be discussed with respect to one of the rings (while being equallyapplicable to the structure of the other rings) for the sake of brevity.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ring 20 is a generally planar member that formsa center aperture 42 through which a portion of the wire being pulledfrom the coil 550 for use extends. The center aperture 42 is defined byan inner edge 44 that may be disposed around the geometric center of thering 20 or at another location upon the ring 20. The ring 20 extends toan outer edge 32 that defines the outer perimeter of the ring 20. Thering 20 may include an inclined portion 40, which extends to the inneredge 44 (that defines the center aperture 42) and a substantially planarportion 30 located radially outward of the inclined portion 40. Theinclined portion 40 may be provided to provide a gradual, guidedtransition for the wire being pulled from the coil 550 (below the ring20) from the substantially horizontal coiled orientation, to thevertical direction out of the container 500 (as shown schematically inFIGS. 2 and 5).

The ring 20 may include a substantially planar portion 30 that surroundsa portion of the entire circumference of the inclined portion 40 andextends from the inclined portion to the outer edge 32 of the ring 20.In some embodiments, the ring 20 may be generally circular. Thesubstantially planar portion 30 may be flat, or in other embodiments mayform a small angle radially, such as very slightly rising (e.g. at anangle of a few degrees, such as less than 1, 1, or 2 degrees or similarvalues) toward the center C of the ring, or may have the oppositecurvature, with an angle that slightly rises (e.g. at an angle of a fewdegrees, such as less than 1, 1, or 2 degrees, or similar values) towardthe outer edge 32. In embodiments where the substantially planar portion30 has a small angle, the angle may be continuous along the radius ofthe planar portion 30 (i.e. to form a cone), or discontinuous to form aradial curve between the inclined portion 40 and the outer edge 32 (toform a concave, or convex lower surface) In some embodiments, one orboth of the bottom and/or upper surfaces of the outer edge may restwithin a respective plane.

The ring 20 is formed to provide a blocking surface disposed above thetop surface 552 of the coiled wire 550, which prevents foreign objectsfrom engaging with the coiled wire 550 disposed within the container500, and prevents wire from extending upward (or being pulled upward)through any gaps 610 (FIG. 8) between the outer edge 32 of the ring 20and the inner surface 512 of the side walls 510 of the container 500.The ring 20 may also be configured with sufficient weight to hold thecoiled wire 550 in a coiled orientation during transport, but be lightenough that the downward gravitational (normal) force of the ring 20upon the coiled wire does not generate a significant amount of friction(or a mechanical blockage) between the wire and the ring 20, and betweenneighboring wires, to prevent wire from freely being pulled from thecontainer 500 through the central aperture 42 in the ring 20. In someembodiments, the ring 20 may be made from metal (such as aluminum orsteel) or plastic, composites, or other materials with beneficialweight, strength properties. One of ordinary skill in the art would beable to select a suitable material for the ring 20 after a thoroughreview and understanding of this specification and an understanding ofthe type of wire and size of the coil of wire within the container.

In other embodiments, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10, thering 20 (120, 220, 320, 420) may be generally circular but include aplurality of vertices 34 (134, 234, 334, 434) (such as 4 equally orunequally spaced vertices, while other numbers of vertices such as 3, 5,6, 7, or 8 are contemplated) that extend radially outward from thecenter of the ring further than the remainder of the outer edge 32. Theplurality of vertices 34 may form a point or a vertical edge upon theouter edge 32 (132, 232, 332, 432) of the ring 20, while in otherembodiments the plurality of vertices 34 may each be arcuate, flat, oranother geometry as long as the plurality of vertices are configured toextend radially outward further than the remainder of the outer edge 32of the ring 20.

As can be understood with reference to FIGS. 8 and 10, the ring 20 (120,220) may be sized and shaped such that the plurality of vertices 34 arethe only portions of the ring 20 that contact the inner surface 512 ofthe side walls 510 of the container 550, while the radius of the outeredge 32 forms a plurality of small gaps 610 (FIG. 8) between the ringand the side walls 510 of the container 500. The ring 20 may be sized tominimize the size of the gaps 610, to prevent portions of the coiledwire 550 from extending upwardly through the gaps 610 (either on theirown as the coiled wire might be urged radially outward, or upward due towire being withdrawn through the center aperture 42 of the ring 20during use), and/or to be sized sufficiently small enough to prevent aforeign object from extending through one of the plurality of gaps 610which might become entangled with the wire within the inner volume 520of the container 500.

In some embodiments, the ring 20 (120, 220, 320, 420) may include aplurality of flexible portions 38 (138, 238, 338, 438) that are disposedproximate to or including the outer edge 32 of the ring 20. For example,the plurality of flexible portions may be formed from a material, suchas rubber or silicone, that generally extends in a predetermined manner,but can elastically or flexibly deflect if acted upon by an externalforce, and is biased to then return to (or toward) its normalconfiguration when the external force is removed. In some embodiments,the flexible portions 38 may each be formed proximate to and includingthe vertices 34 as well as a portion of the ring within the planarportion 30 of the ring that includes the respective vertex 34. As can bebest understood with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the plurality offlexible portions (138 shown in the figures, but 38 and 238 are similar)may include one, some, or all of the plurality of vertices 134, whichare the portions of the outer edge 132 of the ring that makes contactwith the inner walls 510 of the container 500.

In some embodiments, the plurality of flexible portions 38 (138, 238)may each connect to the planar portion 30 of the ring 20 with a straightedge butt joint, as shown in FIG. 3, while in other embodiments, thetransition between the plurality of flexible portions and the remainderof the planar portion 30 of the ring 20 with a curved edge, a lap joint,a tongue and groove joint, or other types of joints known to connect twomembers along an edge. The plurality of flexible portions 38 may beconnected to the planar portion 30 of the ring with a press fit,adhesive, fasteners or other structures known in the art.

In embodiments shown in FIGS. 11-15 another ring 320 is provided.Similar to the rings described elsewhere herein, the ring 320 mayinclude a plurality of vertices 334 (such as 4, while other numbers arecontemplated, evenly or otherwise spaced about the ring 320) that areprovided along the outer edge 332 of the ring 320. In some embodiments,vertices 334 and the outer edge 332 of the ring 320 are configured tonot normally contact the inner surface 512 of the container 500, asshown schematically in FIGS. 14 and 14 a. Specifically, the radius ofthe planar portion 330 about the outer edge 332 and vertices 334 issmaller than the nominal inner diameter of the container 500 (which likethe containers used with the rings disclosed elsewhere herein mayinclude a cylindrical inner surface, an octagonal inner surface as shownin FIG. 10, or an inner surface with another geometry). Of course, insome embodiments, the container 500 may become deformed (such as thedeformation of the container 500 shown schematically in FIG. 9, anddiscussed in more detail below) which could cause the outer edge 332 orvertices 334 to contact the container 500.

The ring 320 may include a plurality of flexible members 338 that aredisposed upon the planar portion 330 of the ring 320 and proximate tothe outer edge 332. The flexible members 338 may each include a firstportion 338′ that extends radially beyond the outer edge 332 with theremaining second portion 338″ disposed upon the planar portion 330. Insome embodiments, one or more, or in some embodiments all, of theflexible members 338 are disposed proximate to, or in some embodimentsover (or under) the vertices 334, such as one flexible member 338proximate to (and potentially over or under) each vertex 334 in theouter edge 332.

As best shown in FIGS. 11 and 14 b, the planar portion 330 of the ring320 may receive or include a post 339 that extends axially from theplanar portion 330 (either upwardly from the upper surface 322 of theplanar portion 330 as shown in the drawings, or downwardly from theopposite lower surface). The flexible member 338 may be retained uponthe post 339 with a fastener, such as sandwiched upon the post with anut, with an adhesive, with a crimp connection, or with another type ofknown connection (releasable or nonreleasable) method. The post 339 maybe formed monolithically with the planar portion 330 of the ring 320,such as molded with the ring or machined with the ring, or the post 339may be a fastener that is itself retained upon the ring 330. In otherembodiments, the flexible member 338 may be fixed to the ring 320 withother structures, such as adhesive, staples or other fasteners, crimps,press fits, or other connection structures or methods.

In some embodiments, the planar portion 330 may additionally include aplurality of ledges 339 a, such that a ledge 339 a is disposed proximateto each post 339. The ledge 339 a is configured to engage a portion(such as an edge) of the flexible member 338, such that engagementbetween the flexible member 338 and the ledge 339 a (in combination ofwith the engagement between the flexible member 338 and the post 339)provides two points of engagement ultimately between the ring 320 andthe flexible member 338, such that the flexible member 338 is preventedfrom rotating or otherwise being displaced from its position andorientation upon the ring 320.

In some embodiments, the first portion 338′ of the flexible member maybe disposed in an orientation that is parallel or substantially parallelwith a plane through the outer edge 332 (either the top portion or thebottom portion), while in other embodiments (as specifically shown withrespect to the flexible member 438 of FIGS. 16-17, but equallyapplicable for the flexible member 338) that first portion 338′ may bedisposed at an oblique angle with respect to the plane, either an upwardangle or a downward angle with respect to the planar portion 330. Insome embodiments, the first portion 338 of the flexible portion 338 maybe biased into either a parallel orientation, or at an oblique angle,such that the flexible portion 338 may be urged into a differentdirection or a different orientation in the same general direction (suchas being urged axially upward (or downward) into a larger oblique angledue to engagement with the inner wall 512 of the container 500 (FIG. 14a), but then returns to or toward the normal biased orientation.

Turning now to FIGS. 16-17, another embodiment of a ring 420 isprovided. Similar to rings described elsewhere herein, the ring 420 mayinclude a plurality (such as 4, while other numbers are contemplated) ofvertices 434 that are provided along the outer edge 432 of the ring 420.In some embodiments, vertices 434 and the outer edge 432 of the ring 420are configured to not normally contact the inner surface 512 of thecontainer 500, (similar to the embodiment of ring 320 shownschematically in FIGS. 14 and 14 a), while in other embodiments, one ormore of the plurality of vertices 434 are configured to contact theinner surface 512 of the container (similar to the schematic drawing ofring 120 in FIG. 5).

The ring 420 additionally includes a plurality of flexible portions 438that are disposed proximate to the outer edge 432 of the planar portion430 and disposed around the circumference of the outer edge 432, such asevenly spaced around the circumference. In some embodiments, theplurality of flexible portions 438 may be disposed such that eachflexible portion 438 is located between two adjacent vertices 434 of thering 420, such as exactly in the middle of the two adjacent vertices434. In some embodiments, the outer edge 432 of the ring 420 may besized and shaped such that the midpoint (where the flexible member 438is positioned) is at the smallest radius of the ring 420 (or one of themany equal smallest radiuses when the ring 420 conforms to the samecurvature between each vertex 434).

As with the flexible portion 338 discussed above, the flexible portion438 may include a first portion 438′ that extends radially beyond theouter edge 432 of the ring 420, and a second inner (not specificallyshown but similar to second portion 338″ of the flexible member 338)that is fixed to the ring 420. The first portion 438′ may be aligned inone of the many ways with respect to the planar portion 430 of the ring420 as discussed with respect to the first portion 338′ of the ring 338with respect to the ring 320, such as substantially planar to a planethrough the outer edge 432, at an oblique angle to the plane through theouter edge 432, and biased toward that orientation. As with the flexiblemember 338, the flexible member 438 may be formed from a flexiblematerial, such as rubber or silicone, or a flexible plastic, or othermaterials that can be formed (with appropriate geometries) to beflexible to deform if needed when contacting an inner surface 512 of acontainer 500, but to be resilient to be biased toward its normalorientation. The methods and structures for rigidly (and in someembodiments releaseably, as in flexible portion 338) connecting theflexible portion 338 to the ring 320 are equally applicable to theflexible portion 438 and the ring 420.

As with the ring 320, the ring 420, including the plurality of flexibleportions 438 disposed thereon, is configured such that one, some, or allof the first portions 438′ of the flexible portions 438 normally contactthe inner surface 512 of the container 500 when the ring 420 is disposedwithin the container and above a coil of wire 550. This contact may bein addition to contact between the one or a plurality of vertices 434 orthe only contact with the container 500. Similar to the interactionbetween the flexible portion 338 and the container 500, the interactionbetween the flexible portions 438 and the inner surface 512 of thecontainer 500 may be urged into a different direction or a differentorientation in the same general direction (such as being urged axiallyupward (or downward) into a larger oblique angle due to engagement withthe inner wall 512 of the container 500 (similar to flexible portion 338in FIG. 14 a)), but then returns to or toward the normal biasedorientation when released.

As can be understood, the presence of the flexible portions 438 (as wellas the flexible portions 338 on ring 320) and their interaction with theinner walls 512 of the container eliminates any gap present between theouter edge 432 (332) of the ring 420 (320) and the container 500, andthe possible deflection of the flexible portions 438 (338) whencontacting the container allow for the contact to be maintained insituations where the container is deformed (as shown schematically inFIG. 9) while still maintaining contact between the ring 438 (338) andthe container 500 and allowing the ring 438 (338) to be maintained in ahorizontal orientation above the coil of wire 550 in the container.

In some embodiments, the container 500 may become deformed away from itsnormal profile (where the plurality of vertices 34 of the ring 20 eachcontact or come close to the inner surface 512 of the side walls 510)such that one or more of the vertices 34 upon a flexible portion 38 iscompressed or urged (deflected) downwardly or upwardly to allow the ring20 to fit within the internal volume 520 on the top surface 552 of thecoiled wire 550. A potential deformation of a container 500 deformationand resultant deflection of the flexible portion 138 is shownschematically at portion E of FIG. 9 (depicted with ring 120, butflexible portions 38, 238 on rings 20 and 220 act in the same manner).The deflection of the flexible portions 38 (138, 238) allows the ring 20to remain substantially horizontal upon the coiled wire 550 and allowsthe ring to “float” downward within the internal volume 520 of thecontainer 500 as the wire is withdrawn from the container (as shownschematically in FIGS. 3 and 5).

The deformation E of the container depicted in FIG. 9 may cause arelated radially outward deformation of the container, such as portion Din FIG. 9. The existence of the flexible portions 138 (38 and 238 aresimilar) upon the vertices 34 allow the radius of the ring 20 to bemaximized (thereby limiting the space 610) while still allowing the ringto horizontally remain within the inner volume 512 of the container 500.

In some embodiments, the ring 20 (120, 320, 420) may include a pluralityof projections that extend from the bottom surface 24 of the ring 20,and toward the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 550 when the ring 20is disposed thereon. The plurality of projections may take many forms,and representative embodiments are discussed below.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the ring 120 may include a plurality ofprojections, that may be a plurality of lines 160 (360, 460) that eachextend from proximate to the inclined region 140 toward the outer edge134 of the ring 120. The some or all of the plurality of lines 160 maybe continuous, or discontinuous with one or more spaces formed along thelength of the lines 160. In some embodiments, the lines 160 may each bestraight, while in embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plurality oflines 160 may be curved along their length between a first end 162(proximate to the inclined region 140) and a second extended end 164,proximate to the outer edge 134.

In some embodiments, the plurality of lines may be curved with a firstside that is concave 160 a along its length, with an opposite side thatis convex 160 b along its length. As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality oflines 160 may be arranged such that the concave portion 160 a of a linefaces the convex portion 160 b of the neighboring line and vice versa.In some embodiments, the plurality of lines 160 are spaced upon thebottom surface 124 of the ring 120 such that the lines are equallyspaced about the bottom surface 124, with each line 160 extending thesame length and in the same shape.

In some embodiments, the second ends 164 of each of the respectiveplurality of lines 160 may be disposed proximate to or below one of therespective plurality of vertices 134 on the outer edge 132 of the ring120. In other words, each of the plurality of vertices 134 may receive(directly or in close proximity) a second end 164 of the one of theplurality of lines 160. In embodiments where the ring 120 includes aflexible portion proximate to (338) or defining (138, 238) each vertex134, the second end 164 of each of the plurality of lines 160 may end inclose proximity to the flexible portion 138, while in other embodiments,the flexible portion 138 may be formed to include a portion of therespective line 160, including its second outer end 164.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of lines 160 may extenddownwardly from the bottom surface 124 of the ring 120. In someembodiments, the plurality of lines 160 may each be a uniform depth andwidth, or they may be differing depth and/or width. In some embodiments,the plurality of lines 160 may extend from the bottom surface 124 of thering 120 a distance (depth) that is about the same as the thickness ofthe substantially planar portion 130 of the ring 120. In otherembodiments, the plurality of lines 160 may extend from the bottomsurface 124 of the ring 120 a distance that is a multiple of thediameter of the wire expected to be used in the container 500 with thering 120, such as a depth equal to one diameter, two diameters, threediameters, one and a half diameters and the like. As can be understoodwith a thorough review of this specification and drawings, the pluralityof lines 160 provide a set off distance (generally equal to thethickness of the plurality of lines 160) that prevents the bottomsurface 124 of the ring 120 from resting directly upon the top surface552 of the coiled wire 550. This set off minimizes the friction betweenthe portion of wire being pulled from the coil 550 (through the centralaperture 142) and therefore limits the force necessary to pull the wirefrom the coil 550. The set off also may prevent the bottom surface 124of the ring 120 from blocking the path of the wire out of the coil 550and through the central aperture 142 of the ring 120. In embodimentswhere the plurality of lines 160 are curved (such as embodiments shownin FIG. 3), the portion of the wire being pulled from the coil 550, whencontacting one of the plurality of lines 160 urges the wire in a gradualmanner toward the inclined portion 140 and the central aperture 142.

Turning now to FIGS. 6-7, the plurality of projections disposed upon thebottom surface 224 of a ring 220 may be in the form of a plurality ofbumps or dimples 262 that are spaced about the bottom surface 224. Thebumps 262 may be curved projections, such as semicircles or other curvedgeometries. Alternatively, the bumps 262 could be cubes, pyramids,truncated pyramids, truncated cones, or other complex shapes with curvedand/or planar faces. The bumps 262 may be equally and/or consistentlyspaced from neighboring bumps 262 around the bottom surface 224 of thering 220, while in other embodiments, the bumps 262 may be unequallyspaced, such as with closer spacing in some portions of the bottomsurface 224 of the ring 220 (such as at portions of the ring that arecloser to the outer edge 232 of the ring) with a larger spacing in otherportions of the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 (such as at portionsof the ring that are closer to the inclined portion 240 of the ring220). The plurality of bumps 262 may be provided to provide a set offdistance (generally equal to the depth of the plurality of bumps 262)that prevents the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 from restingdirectly upon the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 550. Similar to theplurality of lines 160 of ring 120, the plurality of bumps 262 minimizesthe friction between the portion of wire being pulled from the coil 550(through the central aperture 242) and therefore limits the forcenecessary to pull the wire from the coil 550 and also minimizes anymechanical blockage between the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 andthe wire.

In some embodiments, all or some of the plurality of bumps 262 may bethe same shape, thickness, and/or radius, and/or size. Alternatively,the plurality of bumps 262 distributed about the bottom surface 224 ofthe ring 220 may be formed from differing shapes, thicknesses, radii,and/or size, which are designed to minimize the blockage and frictionfelt by the wire during removal of the wire being pulled through thecenter aperture 242 of the ring 220, while maintaining the effectivenessof the ring 220 at preventing the wire within the coil 550 frominadvertently being pulled from the ring 220 or tangling together duringnormal wire removal during operations or transit.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the plurality of bumps 262 areuniformly spaced upon the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220. In anexemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the ring 220 forms a pluralityof similar sections along the entire bottom surface, such as section X,Y, Z (and others) depicted in FIG. 6. The plurality of bumps 262disposed in section X are disposed in the same geometry and spacing asthe plurality of bumps 262 disposed in sections Y, Z, and the remainderof the sections disposed within the bottom surface, shown as divided byimaginary lines R. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate thatthe specific location and spacing of the plurality of bumps within eachsection (e.g. X, Y, Z) within a bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 willbe a function of the size of the ring, the size of the container 500,the type (material, thickness) of wire, and an appropriate geometricalarrangement, size and spacing for the plurality of bumps 262 to be usedupon the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 will readily be determinedby one of ordinary skill in the art with review of this specificationand drawings without undue experimentation.

As a specific representative example, the bottom surface of a ring 220that has a diameter of 20 inches (between opposite vertices 234) and adiameter of 18.6 inches (at the smallest diameter of the outer edge 232)may have 15 equally spaced sections (e.g. X, Y, Z) that each includefour bumps 262. The four bumps 262 form two bumps 262 a that each arealigned in a first line A through the center C of the ring, and twoother bumps 262 b that each are aligned along a second line B though thecenter C of the ring 220, with the first and second lines A, B being 12degrees apart, and each of the first and second lines A, B forming anangular distance (a) of 6 degrees from the line's closest edge of thesection. Each of the bumps 262 within a section (e.g. section X) may bepositioned at a different radial distance from the center C of the ring220. Other rings 220 may be designed for differing sized containers 550.

In some embodiments where the ring 220 includes one or more flexibleportions 238 (as described above) the plurality of bumps 262 may bedisposed upon the portion of the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220without the flexible portions 238, while in some embodiments, one ofmore of the flexible portions 238 may include one or more bumps 262(either formed monolithically with the flexible portions 238, orattached to the flexible portions 238).

Turning now to FIGS. 18-20, in some embodiments a ring 820 may beprovided. While the ring 820 is discussed herein with respect to thefeatures of the ring depicted in FIG. 18, the features of the ring 820disclosed herein could also be included in any of the rings (20, 120,220, 320, 420), and likewise, in some embodiments the features of rings20, 120, 220, 320, 420 may be provided upon the ring 820.

The ring 820 may be a generally planar member that forms a centeraperture 842 through which a portion of the wire being pulled from thecoil 550 extends as the wire is used. The center aperture 842 is definedby an inner edge 844 that may be disposed around the geometric center ofthe ring 820 or at another location upon the ring 820. The ring 820extends to an outer edge 832 that defines the outer perimeter of thering 820. The ring 820 may include an inclined portion 840, whichextends to the inner edge 844 (that defines the center aperture 842) anda substantially planar portion 830 located radially outward of theinclined portion 840. The inclined portion 840 may provide a gradual,guided transition for the wire being pulled from the coil 550 (below thering 820) from the substantially horizontal coiled orientation, to thevertical direction out of the container.

The ring 820 may include a substantially planar portion 830 thatsurrounds a portion of the entire circumference of the inclined portion840 and extends from the inclined portion to the outer edge 832 of thering 820. In some embodiments, the ring 820 may be generally circular ormay include a plurality of vertices 834 as depicted in FIGS. 18 and 19.

The planar portion 830 of the ring 820 may include two or more supportmembers 860 (or bosses) that are disposed upon opposite sides of thecenter aperture 842. The support members 860 may include a top surface861 that includes a valley 862, which is configured to support a dowel890 therein. As best shown in FIG. 19, in some embodiments, two supportmembers 860 are disposed across the center aperture 842 from each otherand the valleys 862 of each support member 860 can receive a portion ofthe dowel 890, and normally opposite end portions 891, 892 of the dowel890. The support elements 860 are provided to support the dowel 890during transport of the container 500. The dowel 890 may be provided toreceive a rope, string, band, or the like 895 thereover, with the band895 being fixed to a bottom surface of the container 500 (or anotherstructure within the container, or a bottom portion of the coiled wire550, or the like), such that the band 895 pulls the dowel 890 downward(i.e. in the direction of the bottom of the container) which retains thering 820 in position above the coiled wire during transit. When thecontainer is received by the user and is positioned for wire withdrawal(such as for welding operations) the band 895 and the dowel 890 removedfrom the supporting elements 860.

In some embodiments, the ring 820 may additionally include two or morereceiving sockets 840 (and specifically the same number of sockets 840as the number of supporting elements 860 upon the ring). The sockets 840may be positioned upon the planar portion 830 of the ring 820 anddisposed on opposite sides of the center aperture 842. As bestunderstood with reference to FIG. 20, the sockets 840 are provided toprovide space for receipt of a support member 860 within a void 842within the socket 840, which allows two or more rings 820 to be stackedwith only a small space therebetween. Accordingly, the opposed sockets840 (and specifically the center point 844 of each socket 840) aredisposed upon the ring 820 at the same distance that the center points864 of opposed support members 860. In some embodiments, the side walls865 of the support members 860 and the side walls 845 of the sockets 840may be slanted (such as to resemble the walls of a hollow truncatedpyramid) such that the support members 850 may slidingly fit within thevoid 842 of the corresponding socket 840. In other embodiments, one orboth of the support members 860 and the sockets 840 may have relativelyvertical side walls (as shown in FIG. 18). In these embodiments, thevoid 842 of the socket 840 should be slightly larger than the outercross-section of the support member 860 to allow the support member tonest within the void within the socket 840.

Because the support member 860 is configured to receive the dowel 890within a valley 862 in the support member, the support member 860 may besized such that the valley 862 is above the inner edge 844 of theinclined portion 840 (i.e. the height “H” depicted in FIG. 20), so thata straight dowel 890 can freely extend between support members 860 thatare disposed on opposite sides of the inclined portion 840. In otherembodiments, the dowel may be angled (such as in the shape of a upsidedown “v” (with the center point to be aligned over the center hole ofthe ring 820) or in curved profile to allow the dowel to be retained bythe support members 860 on opposite sides of the center hole, whilestill vertically clearing the inner edge 844, with the upper surface ofthe support member 860 disposed at the same vertical height above theplanar portion or below the height of the inner edge. With reference toFIG. 20, the ring 820 may be modified such that the valley 862 may bedisposed below the height H if the dowel is curved or like an upsidedown “v” to allow the dowel to lower into the lower valley 862 on bothopposite sides of the center hole 842.

While the preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been described,it should be understood that the disclosure is not so limited andmodifications may be made without departing from the invention. Thescope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and alldevices that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally orby equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.

1. A ring suitable for riding upon a top surface of a coil of wire,comprising: a substantially planar member extending between an inneredge defining a central aperture and an outer edge, the member includinga substantially planar portion that extends radially inwardly of theouter edge and toward the inner edge, and a upwardly extending centralportion that extends from the planar portion to the inner edge, thesubstantially planar portion includes a top surface that faces away froma top surface of a coil of wire when the member rests thereupon and anopposite bottom surface that faces toward a top surface of the coil ofwire when the member rests thereupon, the bottom surface of thesubstantially planar portion includes a plurality of projections thatextend therefrom away from the bottom surface.
 2. The ring of claim 1,wherein the plurality of projections are a plurality of lines thatextend radially outward along the substantially planar portion from aportion proximate the upwardly extending central portion toward theouter edge.
 3. The ring of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality oflines are continuous and are curved to define a concave side and aconvex side, wherein the concave side of a first continuous line faces aconvex side of a neighboring second continuous line, and the convex sideof the first continuous line faces a concave side of a neighboring thirdcontinuous line positioned on an opposite side of the first continuousline from the second continuous line.
 4. The ring of claim 2, whereinthe outer edge of the member is generally arcuate and includes aplurality of vertices, wherein each of the vertices extend radiallyfurther outward from the central aperture than the remainder of theouter edge of the member.
 5. The ring of claim 4, wherein an extendedend of each of the respective plurality of lines extends to a respectiveone of plurality of vertices.
 6. The ring of claim 2, wherein each ofthe plurality of lines extends axially from the bottom surface of themember about the same distance as a thickness of the substantiallyplanar portion of the member.
 7. The ring of claim 2, wherein theplurality of lines comprise four curved and continuous lines, whereineach of the four curved lines are equally spaced around the bottomsurface of the planar portion of the member, and each of the curvedlines include the same curvature along their length between a first endproximate to the central aperture and a second end proximate to theouter edge.
 8. The ring of claim 7, wherein each of the curved linesextend to the outer edge of the member.
 9. The ring of claim 1, whereinthe outer edge comprises a plurality of vertices that extend radiallyoutward from the central aperture a greater distance than the remainingportions of the outer edge.
 10. The ring of claim 9, further comprisinga plurality of flexible members disposed proximate to the outer edge ofthe substantially planer member, wherein each of the flexible membersare operatively engaged with the substantially planer member proximateto a respective one of the plurality of vertices, such that one of theplurality of plurality of flexible members is disposed proximate to oneof the respective the plurality of vertices.
 11. The ring of claim 10,wherein each flexible member includes a first portion that extendsradially outward from the outer edge a greater distance than theplurality of vertices each extend radially outward.
 12. The ring ofclaim 11, wherein at least a portion of each flexible member isconfigured to be urged axially when the flexible member engages an innersurface of a container enclosing the ring.
 13. The ring of claim 1,wherein the substantially planer member supports a plurality of flexiblemembers each disposed proximate to the outer edge, wherein each of theflexible members includes a first portion that extends radially outwardfrom the substantially member past the outer edge.
 14. The ring of claim13, wherein each of the first portion of each of the plurality offlexible member is biased into an oblique angle with respect to a planethrough the outer edge.
 15. The ring of claim 13, wherein each of theplurality of flexible member is engaged with a post that is disposedupon the ring.
 16. The ring of claim 15, further comprising a pluralityof ledges disposed upon the substantially planar member, each ledge ofthe plurality of ledges disposed proximate to a respective post disposedupon the planar member, wherein a portion of the respective flexiblemember engaged with the respective post contacts the respective ledge toprevent rotation of the flexible member about the post.
 17. The ring ofclaim 9, further comprising a plurality of flexible members spacinglydisposed proximate to the outer edge of the substantially planar member,wherein each of the plurality of flexible members is disposed betweentwo adjacent vertices and a portion of each of the plurality of flexiblemembers extends radially beyond the outer edge.
 18. The ring of claim 9,wherein the plurality of vertices are made from a material that exhibitsa greater flexibility than a material that forms the remaining portionof the substantially planar portion of the ring.
 19. The ring of claim18, wherein the vertices are made from rubber and the remaining portionof the substantially planar portion are made a metal or a plastic. 20.The ring of claim 9, wherein the plurality of projections are aplurality of continuous lines that extend radially outward along thesubstantially planar portion from a portion proximate the centralaperture toward the outer edge, wherein a respective end of each of theplurality of continuous lines extends to a respective one of theplurality of contact points.
 21. The ring of claim 1, wherein theplurality of projections are a plurality of discrete bumps that arespacingly arranged around the bottom surface.
 22. The ring of claim 21,wherein the plurality of bumps are each substantially semi-circular. 23.The ring of claim 21, wherein the bottom surface of the planar portionincludes a plurality of similarly sized and shaped sections, wherein theplurality of bumps disposed within each section are disposed with auniform pattern and uniform spacing from neighboring bumps within eachof the sections.
 24. The ring of claim 1, further comprising two or moresupport members disposed upon the planar portion and disposed onopposite sides of the central aperture, wherein the support members areconfigured to receive and support a dowel that extends therebetween andacross the central aperture.
 25. The ring of claim 24, wherein the twoor more support members each include a valley disposed upon a topsurface of the support member, wherein each of the valleys areconfigured to receive the dowel therein when provided upon the supportmember.
 26. The ring of claim 24, further comprising two or more socketsdisposed upon the planar portion and disposed on opposite sides of thecentral aperture, wherein the sockets are disposed at a spacing that isconsistent with a spacing of the opposed support members such that whentwo similar rings are disposed in a stacked configuration with thesupport members of a lower ring of the two stacked rings are alignedwith the sockets of an upper ring of the two stacked rings at least aportion of the support member from the lower ring extends into a voiddefined by the upper ring.
 27. A system for supporting a coil of wire,comprising: a container including a bottom surface, side wallscollectively defining an internal volume that is configured to receivean elongate wire coiled therein, the elongate coiled wire defining a topsurface that faces an open top of the container, and a substantiallycylindrical side surface that radially faces an inner surface of thecontainer; the container receives a ring that rests upon the top surfaceof the elongate coil of wire, the ring extends between an inner edgedefining a central aperture and an outer edge, the ring including asubstantially planar portion that extends radially inwardly of the outeredge and toward the inner edge, and a upwardly extending central portionthat extends from the planar portion to the inner edge, thesubstantially planar portion includes a top surface that faces away froma top surface of a coil of wire when the ring rests thereupon and anopposite bottom surface that faces toward the top surface of the coil ofwire when the ring rests thereupon, the bottom surface of thesubstantially planar portion includes a plurality of projections thatextend therefrom away from the bottom surface, and wherein the ring isconfigured to slide downwardly within the internal volume of thecontainer as the elongate wire is withdrawn from the container.
 28. Thesystem of claim 27, wherein the outer edge of the ring is generallyarcuate and includes a plurality of vertices, wherein each of theplurality of vertices extend radially further outward from the centralaperture than the remainder of the outer edge of the member, and whereinthe plurality of vertices are configured to contact an inner surface ofthe side walls of the container.
 29. The system of claim 27, wherein theplurality of projections are a plurality of lines that extend radiallyoutward along the substantially planar portion from a portion proximatethe upwardly extending central portion toward the outer edge.
 30. Thesystem of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of lines extendsaxially from the bottom surface of the member about the same distance asa thickness of the substantially planar portion of the ring.
 31. Thesystem of claim 26, wherein the plurality of lines comprise a pluralityof curved and continuous lines, wherein each of the plurality of linesare equally spaced around the bottom surface of the planar portion ofthe member, and each of the lines include the same curvature along theirlength between a first end proximate to the central aperture and asecond end proximate to the outer edge.
 32. The system of claim 28,wherein the portions of the ring defining the plurality of vertices aremade from a material that exhibits a greater flexibility than a materialthat forms the remaining portion of the ring.
 33. The system of claim29, wherein the outer edge of the ring comprises a plurality of verticesthat extend radially outward from the central aperture a greaterdistance than the remaining portions of the outer edge, wherein theplurality of vertices are configured to make contact with the innersurface of the side walls of the container when the ring is disposedwithin the internal volume of the container, wherein the each of therespective plurality of continuous lines includes an outer end portionthat disposed below a respective one of the plurality of vertices. 34.The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of projections are aplurality of discrete bumps that are spacingly arranged around thebottom surface, and the bottom surface of the planar portion includes aplurality of similarly sized and shaped sections, wherein the pluralityof bumps disposed within each section are disposed with a uniformpattern and uniform spacing from neighboring bumps within each of thesections.
 35. The system of claim 27, wherein the outer edge of the ringcomprises a plurality of vertices that extend radially outward from thecentral aperture a greater distance than the remaining portions of theouter edge, and further comprising a plurality of flexible membersdisposed proximate to the outer edge of the ring, wherein each of theflexible members are operatively engaged with the ring proximate to arespective one of the plurality of vertices, such that one of theplurality of plurality of flexible members is disposed proximate to oneof the respective the plurality of vertices.
 36. The system of claim 35,wherein each flexible member extends radially outward from the out edgea greater distance than the plurality of vertices each extend radiallyoutward, and at least a portion of each flexible member is configured tobe urged axially when the flexible member engages an inner surface of acontainer enclosing the ring.
 37. The system of claim 27, wherein thering supports a plurality of flexible members each disposed proximate tothe outer edge, wherein each of the flexible members includes a firstportion that extends radially outward from the ring past the outer edge,and wherein each of the first portion of each of the plurality offlexible member is biased into an oblique angle with respect to a planethrough the outer edge.